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Teenager Mary Bowles, from Cork, was arrested by the RIC while moving part of the local IRA’s arsenal. Mary was wearing steel body armour (pic) & carrying a machine gun, two revolvers, an automatic pistol &ammunition, all concealed under her large coat.

#OnThisDay 1941 SS St. Patrick, was sank by the Luftwaffe en route from Rosslare to Fishguard. 19 crew & 10 passengers lost including 17 year old JJ Brennan from Wexford. Brennan’s father Mosie died a year earlier on the same ship when hit by the Germans.

#OnThisDay 1920 Michael Brennan O/C, East Clare Brigade (pic) raided the RIC barracks in Newmarket-on-Fergus, with the help of a friendly RIC man called Buckley. They took arms & intel &nobody was harmed.Before they left they made themselves a cuppa tea.

Thirsty work

#OnThisDay 1798 The United Irishmen in Co. Down were defeated at the Battle of Ballynahinch by Crown forces. The Crown troops burned houses & killed hundreds of the rebels, most famously Betsy Gray. U.I. leader Munro was captured & hanged in front of his house.

#OnThisDay 1944 The 38th (Irish) Brigade were invited to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Pius XII. It was attended by both Catholics & Protestant soldiers. Pius said “You belong to the nation which has ever belonged to God’s church since St Patrick.”